longstrangetrip

At 16 weeks and some change after surgery I’m pretty much on my own again. This is a good thing as I have “graduated” from Physical Therapy (as my theapist put it) and my Doctor does not want to see me until Christmas. I left is office last week and he told me to have a happy Thanksgiving.

After being under the care of someone for so long it’s a bit strange to be just another Joe walking around (with a very minor limp when I push it). I feel good and while I don’t have any tatoos, my 6 inch long scar on my right heel will always identifiy me as a member of the ATR Fraternity. (Alpha Tau Rho?) Maybe we should make some shirts and have a kegger.

But I digress (as I tend to do), life is back to normal and I am playing golf on a regular basis once again, playing with the kids, talking walks with my very understanding wife, and just basically enjoing life and very appreciative of a very simple action called walking. How we do take some things for granted.

I probably won’t be writing much any longer, but will keep up on everyone on this blog for at least a while. If I could make a recommendation to anyone in the Metro Detroit area in need of Physical Therapy. I would strongly recommend a company called Probility. They worked with me twice a week for two months and have helped me gain my strengh and confidence back.

Aside from that, I wish everyone on this site with this wretched injury the best of luck, and God Bless You all.

Your ATR Fraternity Brother,

Doug.

Carl Spackler was right:

[to Ty, about Judge Smails] “If he bothers you, I’ll take care of him. What you’ve got to do is cut the achilles on the back of his leg right at the bottom. He’ll never play golf again, because his weight displacement goes back, all his weight is on his right foot, and he’ll push everything off to the right. He’ll never come through on anything. He’ll quit the game.”

OK I went to the driving range yesterday and overcompensated for my right foot ATR and transfered my weight to the left too fast and now I hook the ball. Contrary to Carl Spacklers theory above I hit a whole bucket of balls to the left. This is very strange for me as I’ve had a fade my whole golfing life that I’ve worked into my game. Aim left, let it float right. At the range, aim left let it go futher left. I think they call that a double cross.

Anyway, complaints behind, I was thrilled to just be on the range, hitting anything at all. Compared to where I was a few short weeks ago, simply driving myself to the range was great in and of itself. Hook, slice, or duff yesterday was teriffic.

Happy Day. Had a Dr. vist yesterday (10 weeks post op) and was told to ditch the boot. I brought an extra shoe to his office as I was hoping that would be the outcome.

Hearing the words “no restrictions” was somewhat unexpected, but quite a moment for me. I’m in my 4th week of PT and all goes well. After getting the good report from the Dr. yesterday the PT had me do more agressive exercises today. Walking backward on a tredmill is a bit of a trip.

Anyway, very excited and hopeful about my progress at this point.

To everyone grinding it out in the early stages post injury, hang in there. My advice to everyone is there is no reason to push it or rush through your recovery.

There are plenty of posts on this site that will make you insecure about your recovery rate. Remember, everyone is different. It took me 10 weeks to get into 2 shoes, but I feel good about it and pretty strong. (Stronger Everyday actually.) Be patient, do PT, and work at home. It aint going to occur overnight, but it will occur. Good Luck Everyone!!

Hello again ATR Nation!!  I haven’t written in a while and I’m sure everyone is waiting with baited breath over my little pearls of wisdom.  Well actually maybe not, but I hear that like Jerry Lewis and David Hasselhoff my blog has quite a following in France.  So to all my friends in France here goes.

I’m 8 weeks 1 day post opp.  into my second week of PT and am FWB with “Das Boot.”  (Wasn’t that a movie about a German Submarine crew in WWII?)  Well I hope to torpedo my own Das Boot ASAP.

PT is going well, stretching, pusing, pulling, and other sorts of torture.  I think PT stands for Physical Terrorist, but I digress.  Since I started PT last week my progress has been amazing and I’m really feeling optimistic.  The kind of optimism that you feel in your chest that just wants to burst out with a smile.  Like when I put both my bare feet on the ground and stood up by the side of my bed.  Haven’t done that since May 23.

I can actually walk without crutches (or crunches as my 4 year old calls them) with the boot.  Wow two free hands I can actually stand and pick-up my 4 year old, another big smile.  So, the moral of this blog…  Keep the faith ATR Republic, progress may seem slow for the first few weeks, but as I have discovered there is a dramatic upswing in your future.  For me it occured at about 8 weeks.

Hang in there everyone, and to my French friends “Au Revoir”

Doug.

As I read these blogs I am beginning to get the impression that the conservative approach is taken much more often outside the United States. Maybe I’m not interpreting the comments correctly, but it seems that is the case. In my particular case (Ann Arbor, Michigan) there was no question that surgery would be done. In fact, the non-surgical approach was never an option even given to me.

Recent posts about re-rupturing got me to thinking about this. Personally I can’t imagine accepting the “Conservative” approach after hearing about the re-rupture rates. What does everyone else think?

So, I’m showering once again sitting on a stool. Wondering when the glorious day of standing in a shower will happen. Not that sitting in the shower with the shower head is not without its thrills. That aside, I’m generally feeling sorry for myself and started to think, gosh what did people do 100 years ago with this injury, or even longer ago.

So here is my summary of the history of man with ATR:

1. Prehistoric Man with ATR - As you would now be the slowest in the group you are quickly eaten by a dinosaur.

2. Knights in Shining Armor Days: They don’t call it the “achilles heel” for nothing. While laying on the ground during a battle wondering who shot you in the back of the calf with a sling shot you are quickly dispatched as you try to limp away.

3. Days of Scrooge and Bob Cratchet: Since you can’t work at the dangerous mill any longer your old boss gives you a cup and welcomes you to the world of begging. “May I have another please.” You know, for all we know little Tiny Tim may have had an ATR. Once Bob Cratchet got that raise, he was able to bring the little bugger in for an operation.

3. Settler in the Wild West. After plowing a field of rocks with no mule, and feeling a sharp pain in the back of my calf (who threw a rock at me) either one of two things could have happened. As you crawled back to your sod hut a grizzley ate you, or two once back because you couldn’t plow the field, gather fire wood for the winter, harvest crops, wash clothes, etc, etc, etc, you and your family starve to death over the winter and are found dead in you oh so spatious sod house.

So, the moral of this story. Buc up people, we don’t have it so bad.

Boy I feel better. And to think its Monday.

Good Afternoon ATR Republic.  According to my calendar I’m at the 5 week 1 day post op mark.  I see the Dr. a week from today to check my progress and I hope he lets me start putting weight on it.  I have a removable boot and the scar looks pretty good actually so thankfully no complications there.  When I take the boot off I can move my foot and streach it, so my heel appears to be reconnected to my calf muscle (such that it is).  Progress seems to be occuring.

My question for our intrepid ATR readers is this:  ”when can I expect to get back to driving my car?”  Is driving and walking synonomous to one another?  If so I’m screwed as I haven’t put any weight on it yet and that eventuality seems weeks away.  After reading the blogs I’m a bit freaked out about re-rupturing the achilles.  Does driving pose such a risk.

I miss the quiet times Me and Car used to have together.  Wait for me Car I’m comming!!

Good afternoon everyone (anyone).  This is my first blog on my own personal journey toward recovery.  I can’t say anyone will actually read this, but I think it might be helpful to have a place to write down my thoughts during this process. 

I popped (literally heard a pop) my achilles on May 23, 2009.  Three days after my 45th birthday.  Happy Birthday to Me, what a great way for Father Time to remind me of my age.  I feel 25, but alas my parts and brain don’t always work together.  Anyway, I was coaching my Son’s Little League baseball team and was doing a base running drill with the team and well the rest is history. 

Had surgery June 1, 2009 and am at 4 weeks 2 days after Surgery.  Pain has subsided dramatically over the past week.  I am in a walking boot, but am not allowed to put weight on it as of yet.  I went to the Dr. last week and he adjusted me to 10 degrees.  In two weeks I think he is going to get me to 0 degrees (neutral position).

The boot allows me to take showers, and stretch my foot, as well as massage the area and foot.  Unfortunately it is my right foot so I can’t drive.  I am lucky however as one of my co-workers lives about two blocks from me and has been driving me to work.  I went back to work full time one week after surgery.  I am a community planning consultant and getting to all of my communities has been a challeng but my co-workers are helping out greatly as is my wife.

While this is a royal pain in the heel (and butt) I can’t complain too much.  I’m getting around OK and my wife and kids are helping me out quite a bit.  They are finding it a little hard to see Dad hurt.  Dad’s aren’t supposed to be hurt right?

Question for anyone who might be bored enought to read this bolg:  What do you know about casting the leg vs. the removable boot that I have?  I asked my Dr. about why he didn’t cast me more, and he gave me a glib answer that he could cast me if I wanted.  (Thanks Doc)

Also what kind of pain is everyone experiencing at 4 weeks.  While mine is subsided, I still have pain especially at night.  I am taking Tylenol.